Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

New CommBank Business Innovation Awards and free online training launch as research shows SMEs are putting ideas to work, but cost, time and resource barriers are limiting progress.

16 June 2026 – CommBank has today announced new support for small and medium businesses putting practical ideas to work, with the launch of the CommBank Business Innovation Awards and free online training through the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship, in partnership with the University of Melbourne.

The announcement comes as Australia looks to lift productivity, competitiveness and living standards. SMEs account for 55 per cent of business research and development expenditure in Australia¹, making their ability to turn ideas into new products, services and better ways of working important to future growth.

Through the Awards, free online training and partner support, CommBank aims to help SMEs build capability, celebrate practical innovation already happening across Australia and encourage more businesses to act on their ideas. The University of Melbourne, Square Peg, Amazon Web Services and Deloitte are supporting the Awards.

Putting new ideas into practice

CommBank research² shows SMEs are putting new ideas into practice to improve efficiency or productivity (62 per cent), stay competitive (57 per cent) and meet customer demand (46 per cent), suggesting many are using innovation both to manage pressure and pursue growth.

The findings also point to an ideas-to-impact gap. While 87 per cent of small and medium businesses have introduced new products, services or processes in the past three years, or plan to do so in the next 12 months, 82 per cent face barriers putting new ideas into practice, including the cost of development and implementation (34 per cent) and lack of time or resources (33 per cent).

CommBank Group Executive Business Banking, Mike Vacy-Lyle, said: “Productivity matters because over time it supports stronger wages, competitiveness and living standards. But for business owners, productivity is not abstract. It can mean quoting faster, cutting time from admin, using data to manage stock, adopting technology, or freeing teams up to spend more time with customers. Those changes do not always look like major breakthroughs, but they can make a real difference.

“CommBank research shows small and medium businesses are already putting ideas into action, but many are being held back by cost, time, resources and capability. That is the gap we want to help address.

“Access to finance matters, but so do skills, confidence, momentum and the right connections. By bringing together the Awards, free training and support from our partners, we want to celebrate businesses already creating impact and help more businesses build the capability to grow,” said Mr Vacy-Lyle.

New CommBank Business Innovation Awards celebrate SME innovation

At the centre of this support are the CommBank Business Innovation Awards, which will recognise emerging, scaling and established SMEs turning new technology, products, services and better ways of working into practical outcomes. Applications open in July to eligible SMEs across Australia, even if they don’t bank with CommBank.

Winners and finalists will receive practical support designed to help build capability and momentum, including cash grants, mentoring from Square Peg, University of Melbourne hosted bootcamps, AWS funding, Deloitte and AWS workshops and, for selected category winners, a Seattle learning experience including visiting Amazon Web Services and CommBank’s Seattle Tech Hub.

To help more businesses build capability, CommBank has partnered with the University of Melbourne to provide online innovation training for Australian SME Businesses through the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship – available to business owners, employees and aspiring entrepreneurs across Australia, even if they don’t bank with CommBank. Participants can complete individual modules or the full self-paced course, with a certificate from the Wade Institute available to those who complete the full program.

The Wade Institute’s Managing Director Jessica Christiansen-Franks said “Practical innovation is not only about starting a new business or developing a breakthrough invention. In many businesses, it starts with asking how a product, process, customer experience or business model could be better. The training is fully online and self-paced, with modules focused on real business challenges and principles that can be applied across industries and business types.”

Innovation is more than tech alone

Further CommBank research findings show practical innovation is broader than big tech, venture capital or breakthrough inventions with recent or planned activity spanning:

• product and service development (69 per cent)
• digital and technology adoption (69 per cent)
• customer experience improvements (68 per cent)
• operational and process improvements (64 per cent)
• sustainability initiatives (52 per cent).

Among SMEs that have already introduced new products, services or processes, the strongest enablers were reinvesting profits (50 per cent), hiring people with the right skills (35 per cent) and staff undertaking additional training or studies (34 per cent), showing practical support is about capability as well as capital.

Businesses can access the free online training, learn more about the CommBank Business Innovation Awards and register to be notified when applications open at commbank.com.au/innovation.

Notes:

¹About the SME R&D statistic – Source: Strategic Examination of R&D discussion paper (page 27). BERD stands for Business Expenditure on Research and Development. SME definition for this statistic is businesses with 0–250 employees.

²About the CommBank research – The CommBank-commissioned research was conducted by YouGov between 16 and 24 October 2025. The survey was completed by a nationally representative sample of 500 Australian small and medium business owners and senior decision makers. Results were weighted by location and business size to be representative of Australian small and medium businesses. Small businesses were defined as having 1–19 employees and medium businesses as having 20–199 employees.

About the CommBank Business Innovation Awards – The CommBank Business Innovation Awards are designed to recognise, celebrate and support innovative Australian businesses at different stages of growth. Applications are expected to open in July across three categories:

• Emerging Innovators: for businesses with annual revenue up to $3 million, recognising original ideas that solve a meaningful problem, show early progress and have a credible pathway to market.
• Scaling Innovators: for businesses with annual revenue between $3 million and $15 million, recognising innovations already delivering value for customers, supporting commercial growth and showing potential to scale further.
• Proven Innovators: for businesses with annual revenue between $15 million and $50 million, recognising established businesses whose innovation has delivered strong commercial performance, broader impact and potential for continued expansion.

About the Wade Institute training – The online innovation training has been developed through the Wade Institute, in partnership with University of Melbourne. The course is available to people across Australia. Participants do not need to be CommBank customers or sign up to a CommBank product to complete the course. Participants who complete all modules will receive a certificate of completion from the Wade Institute.

Australian chemical manufacturing company Alpha HPA says booming global investment in artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing and electric vehicle batteries is driving unprecedented demand for its high-purity aluminium materials, with customer demand now exceeding the planned capacity of its flagship Gladstone facility.

Alpha HPA (ASX: A4N), which is building the world's largest single site manufacturing facility for high-purity aluminium materials in Gladstone, Queensland, announced today it now holds Letters of Intent covering more than 12,000 tonnes of annual product demand, exceeding the Stage Two facility's planned production capacity of 10,430 tonnes per year.

The latest commitments include a South Korean semiconductor supply chain customer, a global specialty materials manufacturer and a leading lithium-ion battery materials producer.

Alpha HPA Managing Director Rob Williamson said the surge in demand reflected the critical role advanced materials play in supporting next-generation technologies.

“The global build-out of AI infrastructure is creating enormous demand for these specialised materials that help semiconductors run faster, cooler and more efficiently,” Mr Williamson said.

“As artificial intelligence systems become more powerful, the chips that power them generate more heat. Our materials are increasingly being used to improve thermal management, semiconductor packaging and manufacturing processes that are essential to the next generation of AI technology.”

The company has secured a new Letter of Intent from a South Korean customer for up to 300 tonnes a year of high-purity alumina products used in semiconductor thermal fillers. These materials help transfer heat away from advanced chips used in AI servers and data centres.

Another agreement covers up to 180 tonnes a year of high-purity alumina hydrate for specialist catalyst applications, while a third commitment is for up to 5,000 tonnes annually of high-purity aluminium products used in advanced lithium-ion batteries.

Mr Williamson said demand from semiconductor manufacturers continued to accelerate as technology companies invest hundreds of billions of dollars globally in AI infrastructure.

“The scale of investment flowing into AI infrastructure globally is creating demand for specialised materials that simply weren't required a decade ago. What we're seeing now is customers looking to secure long-term supply of these materials as semiconductor production expands,” he said.

“We are seeing growing demand across multiple semiconductor applications, including advanced packaging, thermal interface materials, chip manufacturing and high-bandwidth memory used in AI systems.”

“Our customers are increasingly seeking ultra-high purity materials with extremely low levels of uranium and thorium impurities. These impurities emit alpha radiation that interferes with advanced semiconductors. Our process technology allows us to produce the lowest alpha-radiation materials available anywhere in the world.”

Alpha HPA is currently producing commercial quantities of high-purity materials at its Stage One facility in Gladstone while construction continues on the much larger Stage Two expansion, scheduled for completion late next year.

The company is also reporting growing interest from semiconductor manufacturers seeking to diversify supply chains.

Recent customer engagement has included meetings with major semiconductor manufacturers and materials companies across the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe.

Beyond semiconductors, Alpha HPA is supplying materials into battery technologies, direct lithium extraction (DLE), ceramic tooling, synthetic sapphire glass, catalysts and pharmaceutical applications.

The company's proprietary purification process delivers ultra-high purity aluminium products with significantly lower carbon emissions than conventional manufacturing methods, positioning Australia as an emerging supplier of critical materials for the global technology sector.

With Letters of Intent now covering more than 12,000 tonnes of annual demand against planned Stage Two production capacity of 10,430 tonnes per year, Alpha HPA says it continues to evaluate future growth opportunities beyond the current expansion program.

Syrian and Iraqi refugees who came to Australia as a result of the conflict in their homelands are overwhelmingly happy with their lives, feeling safe and optimistic about the future and have become citizens, according to a new survey.

They are also feeling welcome and their children are doing well, according to the survey, commissioned to mark ten years since Australia began accepting Syrian and Iraqi refugees who were fleeing the conflicts sparked by the rise of the militant group ISIS.

But some families and individuals are still struggling with the cost-of-living issues, securing affordable housing and finding jobs that are commensurate with their experience and qualifications.

The survey, commissioned by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia, found that 67 per cent of respondents said their lives in Australia were either ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Another 16 per cent said their lives were ‘fair’.

Ninety-seven per cent of respondents said they felt ‘very safe’ or ‘safe’ in Australia and 75 per cent said they were optimistic about the future.

Asked how their children were faring, 62 per cent said ‘very well’ and 35 per cent said ‘fairly well’.

Eighty-six per cent of respondents said they felt ‘very welcome’ in Australia and another ten per cent said they felt ‘somewhat welcome’ with 86 per cent saying they found it easy to talk to their neighbours.

Seventy-eight per cent of respondents said they had become citizens over the past decade with many others intending to become citizens.

Asked about employment outcomes, 91 per cent of those looking for work had found a job but 25 per cent said it was not commensurate with their skills and experience. Thirty-two per cent of respondents said their jobs were commensurate with their skills and anther 43 per cent were ‘mostly’ commensurate.

Ninety per cent of survey respondents said they had a ‘strong’ sense of belonging in Australia and 79 per cent had achieved a high ‘level’ of English.

Safety and security, employment and educational opportunities and healthcare were cited as the best things about living in Australia while cost-of-living, being apart from family and isolation were cited as the worst.

Asked about their biggest challenges or barriers to settling in Australia, 30 per cent cited ‘finding fulfilling work’, 28 per cent said ‘housing’ and 25 per cent cited ‘cost-of-living’.

Asked about their ‘goals for the future’, the most common responses were ‘family reunion (35 per cent), ‘finding a better job’ (30 per cent), ‘starting a business’ (21 per cent) and ‘owning a home (14 per cent).

Just eleven per cent of respondents said they had a victim of racism or discrimination.

Asked whether they were optimistic about the future of their homelands, only 16 per cent answered ‘yes’, 36 per cent were unsure and 48 per cent were not optimistic. Just 12 per cent said they would consider returning to live in their homeland.

AMES Australia CEO Melinda Collinson said the survey showed the strength and capacity of Australia’s humanitarian settlement system as well as the resilience and of the Syrian and Iraqi communities in Australia.

“The positive outcomes described in the survey are no accident. They are result of a sophisticated, flexible and well-resourced settlement program and also the work of these communities to support each other,” Ms Collinson said.

“The program allows the needs, barriers and aspirations of individual refugees to be addressed. This means we can work with refugees to build on the strengths and resilience they bring with them to support them to achieve their goals.

“This benefits individuals and families, as well as Australia’s economy and society generally,” she said.

Iraqi doctor Asseel Yako, who fled his home when the militant group ISIS attacked and has since resumed his medical career in Australia says he bulk bills all of his patients as a way of giving back.

“I see this as a small way of giving back to the community and to Australian society for giving my family refuge after we were forced to flee Iraq,” he said.

Syrian refugee Norma Medawar, who arrived in Australia a decade ago fleeing the civil war in her homeland, said she now felt Australia was her home.

“We have a great life in Australia now. We are safe, we have jobs and homes and our children can have bright futures,” said Norma, who recently became a citizen.

“While Syria will always be in my heart, Australia is now my home,” she said.

The survey noted that among the key characteristics of the Syrian conflict intake were that most were Christians.

In terms of education, 47 per cent of Iraqi refugee adults and 42 per cent of Syrians had prior tertiary education qualifications.

ICAAD outlines practical legal pathways for equitable access, environmental protection, benefit sharing, and heritage preservation.

Equity in Space Policy Brief
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NEW YORK – June 10, 2026 – As SpaceX prepares for an expected public listing, a new policy brief warns that commercial space capacity is expanding faster than the international rules needed to ensure that space remains accessible, sustainable, and beneficial to all countries.

Equity in Space Governance, published by the International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD), examines how existing space law is failing to translate high-level equitable principles into concrete duties, institutional safeguards, and effective enforcement.

The report is not a critique of one company or of commercial space activity. It argues that private innovation has become indispensable to launch services, communications, research, and future exploration and that legal certainty must develop alongside that growth. SpaceX's expected public-market debut makes the underlying governance question especially urgent: who will shape the rules, who will bear the risks, and who will share in the benefits as private space power reaches unprecedented scale?

“Space has always drawn us toward the unknown, expanding our sense of possibility. But our sense of wonder cannot become the vehicle for commercial ambition to circumvent international law. The SpaceX IPO is a powerful reminder that commercial capacity is scaling faster than the institutions responsible for protecting access, the environment, shared benefits, and heritage preservation. This policy brief is about building legal certainty before first-mover advantage becomes permanent exclusion.” – Hansdeep Singh, Co-Founder of ICAAD

The policy brief focuses on urgent questions already taking shape: whether early actors can secure scarce orbital and spectrum access before other nations can participate, who will bear the environmental costs of expanding launch activity and orbital debris, and whether the benefits of commercial space activity will remain concentrated among a small number of States and companies.

The policy brief argues that equity must be built into space governance while the legal framework is still taking shape. Drawing on lessons from the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Antarctic Treaty, the Rio Declaration, and domestic mining and natural-resource licensing regimes, it identifies practical ways to strengthen existing treaties, guide national regulation, and shape emerging international norms before commercial practice becomes the default rule.

“HWLE was pleased to provide pro bono support in analysing space law through the lens of ICAAD's vision for global equity and assisting ICAAD to propose innovative approaches to improving equity in space governance.” – Nikki Macor Heath, Special Counsel at HWLE

The report’s front and back covers feature Majestic and Mysterious and Blue Earth by artist Louise Shields, whose work was originally supported by LunARC. A digital image of Majestic and Mysterious was flown to the Moon on March 2, 2025, giving the artwork a direct connection to the questions explored in the brief. Its journey turns the cover from an image into a statement: the same curiosity that draws humanity into space must also guide us to govern it collectively, responsibly, and equitably.

About ICAAD

ICAAD is a human rights organization working at the intersection of law, technology, art, and community-driven activism to dismantle structural discrimination. ICAAD equips advocates and institutions with research, legal, and technological tools to drive systemic change and anticipate emerging human-rights challenges.

11 JUNE 2026 – Energy Perspectives 2026 explores how shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics shape long-term developments toward 2050. The analysis presents possible pathways, not predictions.

The 16th edition ofEnergy Perspectives is set in a context of heightened geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation and increased uncertainty in energy markets.

Recent developments have reinforced the importance of energy security and affordability, influencing both near-term decisions and long-term trajectories.

“Energy Perspectives give us the long-term insights and analyses needed to make the right decisions, both here and now and for the future,” says Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor.

The report finds that the global energy transition continues, but at an adjusted pace as governments prioritise short-term challenges and manage trade-offs between security, affordability and decarbonisation.

Current conditions and near-term developments make achieving a 1.5°C global warming ambition highly unlikely.

The analysis highlights that outcomes diverge significantly depending on how policy, economics, and geopolitics interact over time in shaping the global energy system, which provides a platform for debate and informed decision-making.

“Geopolitical shocks and the continued breakdown of the global rules-based order are impacting priorities in energy, economic and climate action policies,” says Christian Becker, senior vice president of global external analysis.

The report presents four forecast scenarios—Walls, Plazas, Silos and Arches.

Walls reflects a continuation of current trends, with moderate growth and a gradual, constrained energy transition. Plazas describes a more integrated, high-growth world where energy demand rises and emissions reductions are slower.

Silos outlines a fragmented world of weaker growth and limited cooperation, with more domestically focused energy systems. Arches explores a pathway driven by national and regional climate action, delivering faster emissions reductions but still falling short of the 1.5°C ambition.

The James Cook University-led PacMOSSI consortium welcomed over 40 mosquito scientists and Pacific Island health officials gathered to Nadi, Fiji this week, against a backdrop of the Pacific’s most severe dengue season in recent memory.

Led by James Cook University, the Pacific Mosquito Surveillance Strengthening for Impact (PacMOSSI) consortium was established in 2020 and includes The Pacific Community (SPC), QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Institut Pasteur New Caledonia and Beyond Essential Systems.

The joint annual meetings of PacMOSSI and the Pacific Vector Network (PVN) come on the back of a 2025 season where the disease swept through at least 10 Pacific Island countries, translating to the highest regional confirmed case counts in over a decade.

PacMOSSI Director and JCU Associate Professor Tessa Knox said delegates worked through an agenda spanning the full arc of regional challenge, from the frontline realities of the 2025 dengue outbreaks to the scramble to access mosquito control supplies during a crisis.

They also looked at how to bring communities on board for spraying operations, through to sessions on mosquito resistance to insecticides, digital tools for tracking and sharing surveillance and control data, and cutting-edge technologies that use mosquitoes' own biology against them.

“Widespread dengue outbreaks across the Pacific in 2025 really taught us some lessons on the importance of information, experience and resource sharing,” Professor Knox said.

“PacMOSSI aims to provide tailored support to Pacific ministries of health to promote preparedness and support responses to vector-borne diseases.

“These meetings are a key part of building strong linkages and ensuring appropriate support from partners to help with this.”

The annual meeting drew together participants from 20 Pacific Island countries and areas alongside representatives from seven international partner institutions and other partner organisations. 

It served as the consortium’s primary platform to review progress, share achievements and set technical and operational priorities for 2026 and beyond.

The PacMOSSI meeting was followed by the PVN convening, a country-led technical support mechanism coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA) and The Pacific Community (SPC).

“2025 saw unprecedented dengue outbreaks across the Pacific,” said SPC Senior Epidemiologist and PVN Secretariat member, Dr Sala Saketa.

“It was clear that working together – countries, institutes and donors – was the only way to get through it.

“PacMOSSI and PVN offer the opportunity for experience and resource sharing across the region, from small island nations to their larger counterparts.”

The co-convening of the two meetings reflected a deliberate strategy to eliminate duplication, align priorities, and maximise the impact of limited regional resources –particularly important for the small island nations that make up the majority of Pacific member states.

For further information, visit https://pacmossi.org/

About PacMOSSI
PacMOSSI is a regional partnership of 21 Pacific Island Countries and areas with 7 international institutions working to combat mosquito-borne diseases throughout the Pacific. It comprises a series of initiatives coordinated by James Cook University in collaboration with The Pacific Community (SPC). PacMOSSI receives support from the Australian Government through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, and from the French Government, the New Zealand Government and the European Union through SPC.

About the Pacific Vector Network (PVN)
The Pacific Vector Network is set up to provide a sustainable and coordinated regional mechanism to upscale vector management activities in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories. PVN is a service of the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network and operates with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), The Pacific Community (SPC), and the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA).

Rabat, Morocco – 10 June 2026 – Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) has unveiled a new brand identity, including a new logo, marking a significant milestone in its transition into a fully-fledged Multilateral Development Bank focused on accelerating housing and urban development across Africa

The new logo, which symbolizes a new chapter in the institution's evolution and expanded mandate, was unveiled during the Bank's 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Rabat, Morocco – presided over by Morocco's Minister of Economy and Finance, Ms. Nadia Fettah.

“Rebranding means more than a name change. It is about transforming the institution's operational framework and expanding its role as a development bank. This transition makes the institution more agile and impactful across the entire housing value chain,” said Thierno-Habib Hann, Managing Director and CEO of Shelter Afrique Development Bank.

Over the years, ShafDB has pursued a strategic transformation agenda aimed at broadening its financing portfolio to address the growing demand for affordable housing and sustainable urban development across the continent. With a membership of 44 African countries, the Bank continues to respond to Africa's pressing housing challenges through innovative financing solutions and strategic partnerships.

“Our success will not ultimately be measured by strategies adopted, policies approved, or meetings held. It will be measured by homes financed, cities improved, jobs created, and lives transformed. The reform phase of the institution must now become the delivery phase,” said H.E. Lionel Zinsou, Chairman of Shelter Afrique Development Bank.

The Bank's transition into a Multilateral Development Bank positions it alongside Africa's leading development finance institutions and strengthens its capacity to mobilize capital for transformative projects. ShafDB aims to play a leading role in addressing Africa's estimated housing deficit of more than 53 million units, which requires approximately US$1.3 trillion in financing.

“Our vision for the next five years and beyond is to lead the transformation of Africa's housing sector and urban infrastructure while creating jobs and improving livelihoods across the continent,” added Hann.

The rebranding comes at a time when African multilateral development institutions are forging stronger alliances to mobilize capital and drive sustainable development impact. The new brand identity reflects ShafDB's renewed ambition and commitment to financing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban growth.

The unveiling also aligns with the theme of the 45th AGM, “The Future of Cities: Financing Inclusive, Green, and Resilient Urban Development,” which has brought together leading voices in housing, finance, infrastructure, and urban development to advance solutions for Africa's rapidly urbanizing future.

As Africa seeks to shape its own development trajectory, Shelter Afrique Development Bank remains committed to mobilizing resources, fostering partnerships, and delivering innovative financing solutions that support the continent's housing and urban development aspirations.

In June, the Global Coincident Barometer remained virtually unchanged, while the Leading Barometer increased compared with the previous month. The result partially offsets the decline observed in the previous month. Both indicators remain slightly above the 100‑point mark, signaling the continuation of a phase of moderate growth for the world economy.

In June, the Coincident Global Economic Barometer remains virtually stable, rising by 0.1 point from the previous month to 103.2 points, while the Leading Global Economic Barometer rises by 0.9 point to 101.2 points. The Coincident Barometer result is driven by a negative contribution from Asia, Pacific & Africa, offset by a positive contribution from the Western Hemisphere. In the Leading Barometer, the same regions move in opposite directions, with the positive contribution from Asia, Pacific & Africa outweighing the negative contribution from the Western Hemisphere.

'While both remain slightly above average, the leading indicator has been lower than the coincident indicator for the second consecutive month. From a regional perspective, this is solely driven by sentiment in the Asia-Pacific and African regions. There, the outlook is below average, probably reflecting the consequences of the energy shortage caused by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The economies of the Western Hemisphere, on the other hand, do not appear to be overall negatively affected by this. In fact, over the past four months, the coincident indicator for this region has increased markedly, leaving other regions, particularly Europe, behind', comments Jan-Egbert Sturm, Director of KOF Swiss Economic Instiute, the latest results.

Coincident Barometer – regions and sectors

The 0.1‑point increase of the Coincident Barometer in June results from the negative contribution of 0.5 point from Asia, Pacific & Africa, while the Western Hemisphere contributes positively with 0.6 point. The Europe indicator remains stable this month. With this result, the Western Hemisphere records its highest level since April 2022 (108.0 points) and widens its gap across the regions. The Europe indicator is the only one remaining below the 100‑point mark, though only marginally.

Among the coincident sector indicators, only Construction rises clearly this month; Industry rises marginally, while Economy (representing overall business and consumer evaluations), Wholesale and Retail Trade, and Services fall. Despite this only marginal increase, Industry records the highest level among the sectors and its highest level since April 2022 (104.5 points).

Leading Barometer – regions and sectors

The Leading Global Barometer rises by 0.9 point in June, with Asia, Pacific & Africa contributing with 1.6 points, while the Western Hemisphere contributes negatively with 0.7 point and Europe remains stable in the month. Despite the decrease, the Western Hemisphere maintains the highest level across the regions, at 109.4 points.

The leading sector indicators show heterogeneous developments in the month, with rises in Economy, Industry, and Services, and decreases in Construction and Wholesale and Retail trade. The Economy indicator remains below the 100‑point mark, while Industry reaches its highest level since March 2025 (103.9 points).

Employment services tailored to the specific barriers and strengths of particular cohorts of jobseekers can improve outcomes for individuals and the community as a whole, a new study has found.

An analysis of the refugee-focused ‘Workforce Australia Settling into Work’ (WA SiW) initiative, delivered by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia, found the initiative is “effective at supporting refugees integrate into their communities and the Australian workforce.

Carried out by independent consultants Right Lane, the analysis found WA SiW delivers better outcomes than comparator programs. It found 1500 participants had found employment between July 2025 and June 2026.

“The program delivered more than $260 million in economic and social value over 40 months, or the equivalent of $79 million a year and $102,000 in economic value per participant,” the Right Lane report said.

The majority of the value generated was through employment outcomes (91 per cent)  with health and wellbeing outcomes contributing a further 7 per cent of the total value created.

“WA SiW is an innovative program that has been successful in supporting participants to achieve their economic and social ambitions,” the report said.

“The program’s success is underpinned by its holistic, person-centred and strengths-based approach to supporting participants,” it said.

The WA SiW program is an innovative program supporting refugees to integrate into the Australian community, with a focus on helping participants find sustainable and fulfilling employment.

The program provides wrap-around support for refugees to achieve meaningful economic and social participation in Australia and is informed by AMES Australia’s long history of sector leading practice in humanitarian settlement.

It is tailored to the unique needs of refugees, helping to overcome complex barriers through a broad range of services, including employment, education, psychological and financial aid.

The program is delivered through an individual-oriented and strengths-based approach to support strong relationships with employers and communities and a highly skilled, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workforce of employment mentors.

AMES SiW client ‘Harsimran’ said the customised, personal support she received from her AMES employment mentor made a difference in her life.

Recently arrived from India and as a domestic violence survivor and single mother Harsimran faced big challenges in finding work.

“At first I was struggling. As a single parent and new to the country, it was very difficult. And at that time, my English is also not good,” she said.

Harsimran had no real qualifications and only a high school education, no family support and was renting a single room in a Melbourne share house with her teenage son.

AMES helped her get a driving licence, English lessons and an interest-free loan from NGO Good Shepherd to buy a car.

AMES also helped her find a job as a cleaner which, thanks to her strong work ethic, progressed to a production role.

“AMES helped me in so many ways. They helped me by finding me a job and slowly, slowly my life is going good,” she said.

The Right Lane report comes after the federal government announced the creation of a new employment service that will be delivered across three distinct streams aimed at being more flexible to the needs and barriers of jobseekers.

Announcing the new service, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said that under the current employment service system, too many people are falling through cracks and there is a need for better outcomes.

AMES Australia CEO Melinda Collinson welcomed the federal government’s plans.

“The federal government’s plans to create a more flexible, nuanced employment service is an opportunity to improve employment outcomes for cohorts of jobseekers with high barriers to workforce participation.

“We also recognise the value of employment programs that are community based, culturally sensitive and tailored to the needs, barriers and aspirations of particular groups or communities.

“We deliver employment services as a specialist refugee and CALD provider and as an indigenous employment provider. So, we have seen how specialist services, embedded in the mainstream service, can  improve employment outcomes.

“We also welcome the announcement of a lived experience advisory body. It’s important that employment programs are informed by people who have walked the jobseeker journey.

“We think there also needs to be a focus on improving skills recognition for migrants and refugees trying to enter the labour market, and we welcome the government’s recent budget initiatives on this,” Ms Collinson said.